Slow Travel Berlin

British Shorts Film Festival 2014

SLOW TRAVEL BERLINBritish Shorts Film Festival, various venues, until 20 January

Short & Snappy is the theme of this year’s British Shorts Film Festival, which is back in Berlin for its seventh year. Taking place over the course of four days, the event will feature screenings primarily at Sputnik Kino, with a couple one-off events at Ballhaus Ost and Filmkunst66.

Each day features plenty of shorts, along with special extras, including musical performances by The Burning Hell, Slow Steve, and the Berlin Pop Ensemble, and DJ sets by Wild Zero and Foxy Boxer No. 1. Meanwhile, those in attendance can wander through the Sputnik Kinobar to take in the exhibition, which features the photography of Corinna Kern; artwork by Emily Howells, Anne Wilkins, and Alice Nyoung; and experimental films from Andrew Brand and Adam Wells.

Also worth noting is the open screening, scheduled to take place on the festival’s final night. Similar to an open mic in concept, audience members are allowed to bring their own short films of 25 minutes or less. These will be projected on the big screen, with one catch: attendees can express their disinterest in the film by holding up red cards. If more than half of the audience votes a film down, it is stopped and the next is put on. Natalye Childress